← The Breakfast Club
The Breakfast Club
INTERVIEW: Kerry Washington Talks 'Shadow Force,' NAACP; Tyler Perry, Producing Vs. Acting, Unprisoned + More
00:28:47
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- [00:00]
Charlamagne Tha God
Wake that ass up early in the morning. The Breakfast Club. Yes. It's the world's most dangerous morning show. The Breakfast Club. Charlemagne. Tha. God, Jess. Hilarious. Envy is not here, but Lauren LaRosa is filling in. And we have the legend, the icon living. Kerry Washington here. How are you, Kerry?
- [00:16]
Kerry Washington
I'm good. I'm happy to be here. Always good when I'm with you all.
- [00:19]
Jess Hilarious
Yeah.
- [00:19]
Charlamagne Tha God
What's your energy like this morning?
- [00:20]
Kerry Washington
I feel good. I feel centered. I feel grateful. Yeah. I'm curious.
- [00:25]
Charlamagne Tha God
Did you have an intention this morning when you woke up?
- [00:27]
Kerry Washington
I didn't state an intention when I woke up this morning, but I woke up with a lot of gratitude.
- [00:32]
Charlamagne Tha God
Amazing.
- [00:33]
Kerry Washington
Yeah, amazing.
- [00:34]
Jess Hilarious
What's the gratitude for?
- [00:35]
Kerry Washington
You know, I feel like this is going to sound so cliche, but I'm very aware lately. Maybe I'm trying to cultivate more awareness lately that as much as things are challenging in the world, like, I feel like the circumstances in the world are tough at the moment for a lot of people. But also two things can be true. There's so much of my life that is truly answered prayers. Like, I know when I wake up that the career I have, my marriage, my children, my health, that, like, I am living, I am walking in prayers answered.
- [01:10]
Charlamagne Tha God
Is this a time for. I mean, it always never a time. But I want people to return back to God in this moment. I really do. Because if you are a person of faith.
- [01:19]
Kerry Washington
Yeah.
- [01:19]
Charlamagne Tha God
And you got to believe everything truly does happen for our greater good.
- [01:22]
Kerry Washington
Right.
- [01:22]
Charlamagne Tha God
Or at least for some reason that we may not understand.
- [01:25]
Kerry Washington
I do believe that. I do. I think that I. I try to remember, though, also that that faith is not just about being, like, handing your power over that for me, faith is about listening for God's will, which is also pointing me in the right direction toward action. Right. Like, faith is not just about, like, sitting back and saying, like other people will do or somebody else will provide. It's also about, like, how. How can you use me today, Lord? Right. How can I be of service today? How can I show up? Because faith isn't just about being inactive. It's about, like, really stepping into your purpose, your calling, your responsibility.
- [02:02]
Charlamagne Tha God
Action. Is that your word for this season since you're in shadow for action?
- [02:07]
Kerry Washington
I do. You know, it's funny. I feel like the last time I was here may have been to talk about my memoir, Thicker Than Water. And when I was writing Thicker Than Water, I was making this movie, and so there was, like, an awareness of a strength that was growing in my life. Like, an emotional strength, a spiritual strength with my family. And I feel like the film allowed me to put that in my body, like, in my cells, to be like, what does fierceness really look like, feel like on me?
- [02:35]
Jess Hilarious
Now that I know that, thinking about back to that conversation, I can. I've seen a movie, so I can kind of see what you're talking about. Yeah, but did you ever think that you'd be taking on. Because this is your first action film, you'd be taking on action in your care in a role like this?
- [02:48]
Kerry Washington
So I. I mean, I'm. I'm just gonna be honest with you. I did an action film 20 years ago. I was Angelina Jolie's best friend in Mr. And Mrs. Smith. And I got to, like, climb that mountain with Angelina and shoot some guns. And I was like, I love this. I loved it.
- [03:03]
Jess Hilarious
Oh, so you loved it, But I.
- [03:04]
Kerry Washington
Never had a chance.
- [03:04]
Charlamagne Tha God
I don't remember that. Cause you said it just now.
- [03:06]
Kerry Washington
Yeah, until I. Then I like, my career kind of took a different turn. And I was doing drama and TV and movies and comedy, but I'd never had a chance to do action again. And I really wanted to, so. So my production company, Simpsons street, when Scandal ended, I was like, we need to find a great action film. And when I read this one, I was like, this is it. Because I feel like my favorite action films are the ones where you know why the explosions are happening right where you care about the characters, where there are real emotional stakes. And so I felt like to have an. A big. This film is like a crazy, big ass, splashy action adventure. But at its heart, it's about love. It's about family. It's about the sacrifices you make for the people that you love the most. It's about what it means to be a parent. And like, I think most parents know what it feels like to be, like, I would go to the ends of the earth to protect this child. But if you are a trained mercenary like my character, and you kill people for a living, what does that look like to really do whatever it takes to protect your little black boy?
- [04:04]
Jess Hilarious
Joy, what was the training like at this point in your career for this action film versus that first action film?
- [04:09]
Kerry Washington
I don't even remember the training for that one. And, you know, maybe because I'm older or just, it was so new for me, but this was intense. It was great. I mean, there was a lot of just weightlifting and Pilates, even just to get in shape to be able to learn the choreography. And then there was stunt Training and weapons training. Cause we're not just shooting guns. We're loading guns. We're cleaning guns. Where there was the fight choreography. I mean, it was hours and hours of training.
- [04:32]
Charlamagne Tha God
Did you know how to bust your gun before?
- [04:34]
Kerry Washington
No, I didn't.
- [04:34]
Charlamagne Tha God
What was the first thing you learned how to shoot?
- [04:35]
Kerry Washington
Yeah. Yeah. Wow. I mean, I had done a little bit, but I really. On all different kinds of guns, and I'm a really good shot.
- [04:42]
Charlamagne Tha God
Did it make you want to own one?
- [04:43]
Kerry Washington
It didn't make me want to own one, but it made me grateful that I could use it if I needed to. Yeah. Was it ever challenging? What part of it was ever challenging? The shooting was not challenging. Weirdly. It was weird, like, that it came. I mean, I have one of our targets that I'm framing for my office that I got, like, a bullet in each eye like crazy. I don't know why I'm such a good shot, but I'm. I'm not complaining. I think the physical, like, learning the martial arts, especially because a lot of my fights were with people much bigger than me. So to learn how to fight Omar C. Who plays my husband in the film, who's the actor. Many of you may love him from Lupin, or Lupin, if you're saying it the French way, but he's so much taller than me. And so to figure out, like, what is my fight approach, to be able to take him on was fun and hard.
- [05:29]
Charlamagne Tha God
I'll be honest with you. Sounds very tiring. Like, what was the recovery process like? Was it a lot of ice packs.
- [05:34]
Jess Hilarious
Icy Hot on a press tour while you're doing all of this?
- [05:37]
Kerry Washington
Yes, but I loved. Was useful to have a husband at the time. You know, my husband, who was a former professional athlete, to be able to kind of help me through some of that. But I love that. I love challenging myself physically, and I love working out. I love getting into the body of the character. So it was exhausting. But I also felt. I don't know, I was really proud that when my kids would get up on a Saturday morning, they would come downstairs and see mommy, like, with the boxing gloves on, kicking ass in the driveway with my trainer. Like, there was something really exciting about that.
- [06:07]
Charlamagne Tha God
Does a role like this help you to express your shadow. Shadow side more?
- [06:10]
Kerry Washington
I think so. I definitely, like, I've. I think my go to personality. I'm much more of a lover than a fighter. I'm not a person who likes to argue. I'm not really combative. I'm not. I'm not avoidant. But I'm definitely not an aggressive person. So this did help me tap into a level of anger and aggression and courage more than anything.
- [06:33]
Charlamagne Tha God
Oh, courage. That's a strong word. Why? Why courage?
- [06:36]
Kerry Washington
Because I think when you put yourself in situations where you can get hurt, it requires you to face those fears. And, you know, the. It's funny, I was talking to Omar because he's French, and our word courage comes from the French word cure, which means heart. So it's really about, like, having a strong heart, a capacity to. To challenge your heart.
- [07:02]
Charlamagne Tha God
That's interesting, because I was thinking about something earlier. I was like, what do you think your characters have taught you that no human being or real life ever could?
- [07:11]
Kerry Washington
Mm. I mean, I'm lucky because every time I play a character, I get to learn her greatest lessons. So it's almost like reincarnation in this lifetime. Like, I get to learn what she learns and then fold it into my life to move forward. A lot of times, what characters remind me, they remind me to be grateful, you know, like, for this film. In Shadow Force, it's really about what it takes to protect the people you love from the systems that want to cause you harm, which I think is very relevant right now. But this couple, they used to be part of this spy unit. You know, they were trained killers together. They broke the rules, they fell in love. I got pregnant. So now we have to go on the run to protect our kid from the very unit that we used to be a part of, the Shadow Force unit. So for me, the film is about, like, when there are systems that don't want you to have freedom and love and Joy, what do you do to fight those systems? And I think that's a great lesson to be reminded of right now. It's a great question for all of us to be asking ourselves right now. You know, like, I, too, as a mom, want to protect my black boy joy. I want my son to hold onto his joy in the face of a world that may not be invested in his liberty and strength. And so that, for the film, the film was a great reminder. Also, these two mercenaries, you know, they have to separate. I kind of back off from the family to try to protect them from afar. And Omar plays the dad. It's this beautiful. It's such a perfect date movie because the action is beast. But Omar also plays. He's doing the primary parenting as the dad. And that image of a black father who's so, like, locked in and present is so beautiful in a film, but part of what they learn is about partnership. Like, if you're lucky enough to have a partner in parenting, you are so much stronger when you lean into that partnership. And that partner could be your spouse, it could be your sister, it could be your mother, it could be your stepdad. It could be whoever is part of that village. But leaning into that partnership in parenting is also a gift. So I think I walked away from the film feeling so grateful for my partner, for my kids, for our safety, for our willingness to fight, for our joy, no matter what's happening in the world.
- [09:18]
Jess Hilarious
I was going to ask you, because there's a lot of different scenes. I don't want to get a movie away.
- [09:23]
Kerry Washington
I know. I know.
- [09:24]
Jess Hilarious
The first scene that stood out to me where I was. I think this is what I'm feeling. I'm feeling like she's fighting the fact that, like, this is a good man and he loves your son and you as much as you think he does. Just let him do it.
- [09:37]
Kerry Washington
Oh, you got it, girl.
- [09:38]
Jess Hilarious
Y'all were at the gun range.
- [09:40]
Kerry Washington
Yeah.
- [09:40]
Jess Hilarious
And don't give no damn more.
- [09:43]
Kerry Washington
Okay, but that's a little bit of that in the.
- [09:45]
Jess Hilarious
And y'all. Y'all had the back and forth there.
- [09:47]
Kerry Washington
Yeah.
- [09:48]
Jess Hilarious
And you left, and his shot was perfect.
- [09:50]
Kerry Washington
Yeah.
- [09:50]
Jess Hilarious
And I was like, man, it talked a lot about how men have to sacrifice in family and relationships versus how women have to do it and how we view it.
- [09:58]
Kerry Washington
Yes. Come together. Because we really kind of twisted the gender norms in this film where the woman is out there working, protecting from afar, trying to, you know, not just bring home the bacon, like, bring home the dead bodies to protect this family. But he's. Even though he's badass and strong, he's also, like, the more sensitive parent. He's, like, really present. I was talking to my girlfriends. Like, to me, there is nothing sexier than watching a man be a good dad. It is just, like, so beautiful. So I just love that we're kind of playing in those gender norms and asking people to challenge your idea of even what family looks like today.
- [10:31]
Jess Hilarious
Did that cause any conversations for you at home with your family of, like, okay, here are some things that, you know, I want to, I don't know, let you do. Let you. I'm going to lean and allow you to do. Because that was, like, the biggest thing. It's like, yeah.
- [10:42]
Kerry Washington
I don't know that the film caused me to have those conversations in my marriage, but I think one of the reasons why the film really resonated for me is because I do really understand the value of the partnership that I made, and I really do have. You know, I love parenting with my husband. You know, I love our marriage, and I love how we are a team with these kids. And both are really important. Like, to cultivate the time to just be a couple, and then to cultivate the time to pour into the family, too. All of that is just so important. So when I read the script, I was like, oh, this just feels so good to see black love portrayed in this way. Black power, like, they are so badass, but also to see black love sort of explored in this way.
- [11:28]
Charlamagne Tha God
You play so many different roles. Like, when you go home, how do you remain rooted in who Kerry Washington is?
- [11:34]
Kerry Washington
Yeah, I have rituals that I do at the end of the day. Like, a lot of times. You know, a lot of times I'll play a character, for example, who's married to somebody else. Right. And so for me, when I take off my wedding ring and put it back on at the beginning of the end of the day, that's a small ritual that grounds me in who I am, because it's such a big part of who I am and how I walk in the world. And I just. I have, like, ways that I close out the day, because in the beginning of my career, I used to try to live in these characters all day long. But when you get married and have kids, you're like, I don't need to go home and be sharing my shadow self with people that don't deserve that or need that. So I try to really create containers. You know, some of that has to do with the hair and the makeup. When I take off the costume, I just try to leave what needs to be left there. It's not always perfect. There's. You know, I'm a person who thinks a lot about the work, even when I'm not at work. But I do try to make sure that I'm as present as I can be with my family, because they deserve that. Yeah.
- [12:28]
Charlamagne Tha God
Have you ever bought it home and called your man the wrong name?
- [12:31]
Kerry Washington
No.
- [12:31]
Charlamagne Tha God
Call him the character's name.
- [12:32]
Kerry Washington
No. Has he ever called you the character's name? Oh, yes. Olivia. No. No.
- [12:40]
Charlamagne Tha God
Okay.
- [12:41]
Kerry Washington
No, no, no.
- [12:42]
Charlamagne Tha God
I feel like I gotta say congratulations to you too, because the six Triple eight received a Congressional Medal of Honor. I feel like the Netflix series Salute Nicole Avon and Tyler Perry. I feel like that amplified that story.
- [12:55]
Kerry Washington
That was our goal. You know, when. When Tyler and Nicole came to me with that project, it was so clear to us that this story needed to be Told because these women needed to be celebrated. And that the most important thing was that we made a movie that really resonated with people so that no one would ever forget these women existed and what they did, the sacrifices they made for this country and the courage they had to do what they did. So the fact that it, like, broke records, it was Tyler's biggest film ever on Netflix, that 50 million people watched it in the first few months, like, it was just an insane success for the platform. And I'm really proud of that because what that says to me is that at a time when our history is so under attack, that that is a story that cannot be taken away from us and that we understand our role to do good and to make the world a better place. And that. That. That has been a part of the history of this country forever.
- [13:47]
Charlamagne Tha God
How did that feel psychologically to see like this same administration has taken so much from us to also reward the six triple eight.
- [13:56]
Kerry Washington
I don't know if it was this administration that made that decision or if it happened prior to, because I just.
- [14:03]
Charlamagne Tha God
Saw the speaker of the House, Mike Johnson.
- [14:04]
Kerry Washington
Yeah, yeah, yeah. But I would just say whoever gives them their flowers, they deserve their flowers. It doesn't make me say that the other decisions they're making are okay. Right? Like, they don't get a pass because they've done this one thing. These women deserve to be honored and celebrated despite whoever is in power at any time.
- [14:20]
Jess Hilarious
And then the NAACP Image award moment. But thank you to Tyler Perry. Congratulations. Outstanding actress in a motion picture for.
- [14:27]
Kerry Washington
And then we also won best picture, which was so. I'm so proud as an executive producer of that film. Yeah, the movie was perfectly casted too. Oh, my God. Y'all, like, killed it with the kids, all those girls. It was. As a producer, I was really proud to be introducing all of that young talent, all those incredible young black actresses to in the world. They were so amazing. And in Shadow Force too. I mean, Jaleel, as a producer, when I. When we audition Omar and I auditioned.
- [14:54]
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- [15:49]
Jess Hilarious
Panoramic moonroof, ambient lighting, bows, and massaging leather. Appointed seats are optional.
- [15:53]
Kerry Washington
Features. Who plays our son in the film? I mean, he, like, steals the movie. He's so adorable and lovable, and he has to be right because every explosion, every kick, every punch is for him. So you have to fall in love with him. And he's so good. And then Method Man's in the film Divine Joy. Who? We were lucky we got her before her fancy Oscar. But the cast is incredible.
- [16:14]
Jess Hilarious
It's stacked on.
- [16:15]
Charlamagne Tha God
I love that.
- [16:18]
Jess Hilarious
I wanted to ask you, when the NAACP Image Award moment happened where you think Tyler Perry again, and then he posted online talking about how that brought him to tears. Y'all talked after, I'm sure.
- [16:28]
Kerry Washington
Yeah, we did.
- [16:29]
Jess Hilarious
Was it an emotional conversation?
- [16:30]
Kerry Washington
It was because, again, like, we don't. You know, we had just made this film to give flowers to 850, 52 women in heaven and three who were still with us to honor their sacrifice and their service. And he was like, I'm so grateful that you take that you took the time to give me my flowers now. Right? We can't wait for people to go to say how great they are. We need to let people know in the real. And I didn't. I just didn't know that I had thanked him twice because I blacked out. I really, really, really did not think I was gonna win. Like, I told Namdi to stay home. Like, you don't gotta come to this, baby. Like, I knew. I knew that Cynthia Erivo was. She was nominated for an Oscar. I'm such a crazy, wicked fan. Like, I voted for Cynthia, so it was amazing. I really was shocked. Like, like Beyonce album of the year. Shocked. Like, just couldn't believe that that had happened. Yeah. And then when I got up on stage, I blacked out, so I didn't remember having said him. And the idea when I was walking off stage that I may not have said his name was so devastating to me. I just blew up the whole show.
- [17:35]
Charlamagne Tha God
I love that Though I love that level of gratitude, you know what I mean? Because I feel like a lot of people don't do that. Why was that so important for you to do in that moment? Like, I have to make sure. I. I think.
- [17:42]
Kerry Washington
I think because Tyler's been such a support for me throughout my career, like, at a time earlier in my career where I was like, I'm done acting. I don't think I want to do this anymore. He called me to be in for Colored Girls. Beautiful film. And I got to work with so many of my heroes. Whoopi Goldberg and Felicia Rashad and Loretta Devine and Janet Jackson and Nikanoni Rose, a young Tessa Thompson. Like, he's been there for me even when I've struggled, like, in my career with paparazzi and fame, he's provided safe space, spaces for me. He's a confidant. He's an advisor. He's a real friend. And to come to me with this role, I just thought this was an extraordinary gift to be able to play Captain Charity Adams, a woman who was so inspiring and so heroic. It really felt like the gift of a lifetime to be asked to step into this process with him and co produce with him. So I want. I just. It was. I couldn't imagine not thanking him.
- [18:31]
Charlamagne Tha God
Well, what are the biggest lessons you've learned as a producer as opposed to things you learned as a.
- [18:36]
Kerry Washington
As an actress? I guess the thing I love most about producing is when you're an actor, you really are sitting around waiting for somebody else to give you an opportunity to do what you love to do, right? Like, you're like, please, somebody hire me. Somebody invite me to your party. Like, I just want to play. I want to hang out. I want a seat at the table. But when you're a producer, it's that thing of, like, if you don't have a seat at the table, build your own table. Like, I get to build my own table now. And because it's my table, it's the table I know I want to be at, and I do not build a table for one. So to have a table where I know thousands of people are getting to work and to pursue excellence and chase their dreams because of what we're doing at Simpson street, that's such a gift. So I think as a producer, again, it's really about, like, how can I be of service, not just to find the projects that I want to do and tell the stories I want to tell for me, but also, like, I'm so proud of our show, reasonable Doubt, which we're shooting in Atlanta right now. Season three, Desperate Housewives. Yes. Yeah. So we're really, like. We are creating lots of opportunities, not just for me, but for other people and that I love to be of service.
- [19:38]
Jess Hilarious
How do you. Go ahead. I was gonna ask, how do you pick what you get involved in or choose to do? Because the Desperate Housewives spin off, it's like, 20 years later.
- [19:44]
Kerry Washington
Yeah.
- [19:45]
Jess Hilarious
Were you a fan of the show or, like, how. What's the background?
- [19:47]
Kerry Washington
Yeah, I love the show. I'm a huge fan of the show. And. And that showrunner, Mark Cherry. I. I just. I thought it's just a great time. Like, some of the issues of that show, the idea of, like, living a life of perfection where everything looks good, but underneath there are secrets and desires and complexities that we're not talking about. Like, that still resonates. So I thought this was a good time to. To think about how would that show exist now? Who would be in that cul de sac now? Because it looks different now than it did 20 years ago.
- [20:17]
Charlamagne Tha God
I see people not happy about that, though. I saw some. Some backlash. It was like, we don't want a new cast. I think they're trying to say we don't want no diversity. I think that's what they really said.
- [20:25]
Kerry Washington
Cul de sac.
- [20:26]
Jess Hilarious
I was thinking. I mean, they got some black neighbors.
- [20:28]
Kerry Washington
We'll see. We'll see.
- [20:30]
Charlamagne Tha God
Do you. Even when you hear stuff like that, does it. Does it deter you in any way? Like, is that a project I want to touch?
- [20:35]
Kerry Washington
I'm open to feedback. I think it's important to have your ear open to criticism, but I try to only give real power to people who are in the game. Right. Like, I don't. I don't really take criticism to heart from people who I don't admire and respect.
- [20:50]
Jess Hilarious
Damn, you can't even get in the club from outside.
- [20:59]
Kerry Washington
I have to like you and like how you're living and what you're doing and what you're creating to feel like you have a say on what I do. But I'm very open. I'm a very collaborative person. I'm very open to feedback. I love getting, like. I love directors who challenge me, who make me be better, who ask tough questions. Well, you just have to be careful with your energy and not give it to haters.
- [21:19]
Charlamagne Tha God
So just the random folks on social media, you like, whatever.
- [21:23]
Jess Hilarious
I mean, you.
- [21:23]
Kerry Washington
I, again, I think you have to stay aware. I think anytime you dismiss human beings is. That's not healthy because everybody Matters. Everybody's a child of God. People's voices matter. People count. But you just have to. For me, as I'm weighing input, I have to make sure that I don't give my power away.
- [21:42]
Charlamagne Tha God
Question. When y'all. When you were doing scandal, right?
- [21:44]
Kerry Washington
Yeah.
- [21:44]
Charlamagne Tha God
You know, scandal seemed very absurd. When you think about the government. When you look at the government now, you like, what? Like, Shonda couldn't even write this.
- [21:52]
Kerry Washington
It's wild. It's wild.
- [21:53]
Charlamagne Tha God
What would Olivia Pope do right now if she was part of this government, which.
- [21:57]
Kerry Washington
I don't think she would be part of this government. I don't think she would have. You know, she wouldn't serve this administration.
- [22:04]
Charlamagne Tha God
Even to be a spook who sat by the door like the.
- [22:06]
Kerry Washington
That's an interesting twist.
- [22:08]
Charlamagne Tha God
Yeah.
- [22:09]
Kerry Washington
Maybe Shonda would write that kind of version. Yeah.
- [22:11]
Charlamagne Tha God
I don't.
- [22:12]
Kerry Washington
I really. This administration is beyond what I can wrap my head around right now. Yeah. And so I'm really, really trying to pivot my focus on most days to how each of us can show up to participate in this process in ways that really matters, because I think we got here because too many people feel like they don't matter, like their voices didn't matter. I think if more people understood. Understood the power of their vote, we wouldn't be where we are.
- [22:42]
Charlamagne Tha God
When did you realize.
- [22:43]
Jess Hilarious
No, you go ahead.
- [22:44]
Charlamagne Tha God
When did you first realize people were watching you, not just as a actress, but as a. As a leader?
- [22:51]
Kerry Washington
Oh, that's a good question. I don't know. I think I've always been a little bit of a. You know, I started my activism work when I was a teenager, so I've always been a person who's kind of been an artist but also tried to be of service. But I don't know. I don't. I don't. I mean, even as you said it, I was like, oh, I guess people do think of me as a leader, but I don't. That's not first in my mind. I don't think about it in those terms. Yeah.
- [23:19]
Charlamagne Tha God
Interesting.
- [23:20]
Jess Hilarious
I would say even politically, like, people, they. I don't know your character, of course, because of. You know, but even politically, like, people look to you to see, like, who you're talking about, why you're talking about them, what you're doing, what you're not doing. You got off X at one point.
- [23:35]
Kerry Washington
I did, yeah.
- [23:36]
Jess Hilarious
You took a break. I saw you post that as well. Are you back now?
- [23:39]
Kerry Washington
No, no, no, no.
- [23:40]
Charlamagne Tha God
He's like, for what? Right?
- [23:41]
Jess Hilarious
No, but it's also Synonymous with Olivia Pope and who. You know what I mean? The whole Scandal show.
- [23:46]
Kerry Washington
And that was Twitter. Yeah, that was an ex. Twitter was. Made our show part of what it was. The culture on Twitter and black Twitter. But X is a different place now. The neighborhood has changed. I don't want to live there.
- [23:59]
Charlamagne Tha God
You move.
- [24:00]
Kerry Washington
I'm not in that neighborhood anymore. I don't agree with the leadership. You want to talk about leadership? Like, I don't agree with there. I don't agree with how the conversations are happening. It's not okay. It's not a. It's not as safe a place as it used to be, and it was never entirely safe, but now it's like the wild west, and there's a lot of misinformation, and so I don't. I don't want to be at that party.
- [24:19]
Charlamagne Tha God
I'm glad you use the word safe because you don't seem to play it safe, but you have this, like, huge career. A lot of people in Hollywood want to play it safe because they don't want to impact, you know, their career. Why? Why. Why do you take that? I guess risk is the word.
- [24:32]
Kerry Washington
It's interesting because I. Even at my company, when we talk about culture within the company at Simpson street, we. We often don't say, like, we want to make sure this is a safe space. We try to say, we want to make sure this is a brave space, because it's not about safety. It's about truth and. And having the courage, being brave to say the things that need to be said so that you can move everybody forward. Safe is about, like, tiptoeing eggshells, working around people. It's like, no, no, no, no, no. Let's be real. Let's tell the truth. Let's be kind. But I think clear is kind.
- [25:02]
Charlamagne Tha God
Was there a brave story you want to tell right now? Especially being, like I said, they keep. They're taking a lot of things from us. So I feel like art is going to be the only way to educate and inform.
- [25:12]
Kerry Washington
I was just at the Brooklyn Artists Ball last night at the Brooklyn Museum, and they were honoring Darren Walker, who's an incredible leader. And he was saying that artists hold such important meaning in the culture right now because artists are like a mirror up to society. I'm. I'm really proud of Shadow Force. I really. I love this film. I feel like theaters are back. Like, I'm so excited about Sinners. I'm obsessed with that film. It's so beautiful. I feel like this is another, like, really exciting film to see in theaters because the locations are gorgeous and it's not a lot of cgi. Like this is real people doing real stunts, putting our bodies at risk. I'm. I'm excited to be in community with people telling stories about the power of black family and black love and black parenting and black kids and. And community, you know? Yeah. And then I'm starting a series. Simpsons Tree is producing a new series for Apple called Imperfect Women that we start in a couple weeks. We're filming in la. So I'm really excited about that project too. It's with Lizzie Moss from Handmaid's Tale. And that's also really about, like truth, you know, Booked and busy trying. I love that. And I'm excited that we're shooting in la, you know, because we need that after the fires, there's. We really need for more production to be happening in Los Angeles. So I just finished doing a film there and now we're starting this series.
- [26:31]
Charlamagne Tha God
Are you reprising your role as Alicia Masters in Fantastic Four?
- [26:34]
Kerry Washington
I haven't been invited to but Manifestation, but you can put that out there. I do want to do more action films. I really feel like doing Shadow Force was so fun and I think it's exciting to work in that way to be. To take on strength, not just intellectually and emotionally and spiritually, but physically.
- [26:57]
Charlamagne Tha God
How is Kerry Washington staying grounded not just in this high pressure industry, but as you said, in just this crazy ass world we're living in right now?
- [27:07]
Kerry Washington
I think therapy is a big part of it. Definitely. Therapy is a big part of it. I think wellness practices, like my workouts are everything. Hydration, sleep. I have really been trying to center sleep this year. My doctor has been like this. This has to be number one. Yeah. So those are. I mean, I think those are the big ones. And then just, you know, staying connected to the people who I feel like really love me for who I am, you know, people I feel closest to.
- [27:35]
Charlamagne Tha God
Absolutely.
- [27:36]
Jess Hilarious
You do a really good job of like on Social. Not on X, but your other socials.
- [27:40]
Kerry Washington
Yeah.
- [27:41]
Jess Hilarious
For your fans. Like, we always feel really connected When Unprisoned was canceled. We heard it from you first.
- [27:47]
Kerry Washington
Yeah.
- [27:47]
Jess Hilarious
Which doesn't normally happen a lot of times. The talent involved is like, we didn't even know that this was happening. But you were honest. You said that you guys were disappointed.
- [27:55]
Kerry Washington
Yeah.
- [27:55]
Jess Hilarious
That it wasn't coming back. Why is it?
- [27:57]
Kerry Washington
Thank you for bringing that up. Because the interview that you guys did with Delroy was so special.
- [28:01]
Charlamagne Tha God
Oh, Delroy is amazing.
- [28:02]
Kerry Washington
So he's amazing.
- [28:03]
Charlamagne Tha God
He don't get nominated for best supporting actress. An actor for Sinners.
- [28:07]
Kerry Washington
So great. So, I mean, it's one of my favorite interviews he's ever done. And so thank you for having him on and for supporting the show. I mean, it's one of the gifts of being a producer. Right. Is a lot of actors, a lot of talent don't. They don't know when decisions are being made. But as a producer, I get to be in the room even when it's disappointing news that I don't want to hear. And I feel like the fans deserve that because everything we have is because people show up and watch. You know, I'm very aware that the life I live is because of the people who have shown up to support me throughout the years, and I'm really grateful. So I try to treat that relationship with as much respect as possible.
- [28:40]
Jess Hilarious
Do they ever tell you why? Like, when these things don't.
- [28:43]
Kerry Washington
Yeah, they do. You know, sometimes it makes sense, sometimes it doesn't, and sometimes we don't see eye to eye about their reasons.
- [28:51]
Jess Hilarious
Yeah.
- [28:51]
Kerry Washington
So, you know, she's so pleasant.
- [28:54]
Charlamagne Tha God
Yes.
- [28:56]
Jess Hilarious
But, you know, you just gotta.
- [28:57]
Kerry Washington
For me, it's like, that's why we have to keep moving. That's why we just got to keep creating. Like, the biggest way to heal heartache around creativity especially, is to just create more. You just gotta get back in there and take more risks, tell more stories. Stay. Stay vocal.
- [29:16]
Jess Hilarious
Got you.
- [29:17]
Charlamagne Tha God
Oh, thank you, Queen Kerry Washington. Always a pleasure. When you pull up Shadow Forces in theaters on May 2. It's Friday.
- [29:23]
Kerry Washington
No, no, no. May 9.
- [29:24]
Charlamagne Tha God
May 9.
- [29:25]
Kerry Washington
May 9. Mother's Day weekend for all the badass moms.
- [29:29]
Charlamagne Tha God
All right, okay. Mother's Day weekend. That's. That's what you need to take your mother to go see.
- [29:33]
Kerry Washington
Yeah.
- [29:34]
Charlamagne Tha God
Shadow Force. Carrie, thank you for joining us.
- [29:36]
Kerry Washington
Thank you for having me.
- [29:37]
Charlamagne Tha God
It's a pleasure. Breakfast Club. Wake that ass up early in the morning. The Breakfast Club.